Need help identifying this grinder and opinions on it

Winterbear

Winterbear

Well-Known Member
Ok, so I have been saving \scrounging to build my own grinder and was finalizing a design based on many production and home built designs when I found this advertised locally, well about a hour drive. The seller states it is 3 phase (which I don't have ) and it is 4x72. It is relatively inexpensive $200 but I am a bit unsure if I can make it truly usable for what I want to do in knifemaking. please help me ID this grinder and give me some opinions on usability and modifications.
Thanks guys Chris
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Looks like a Wilton/style grinder. If the tracking wheel is crowned to the center, and if you can fabricate 2" tooling for the front (platen, wheel etc) it should be usable, and if not you might be able to order a 2" wide tracking wheel, and original square wheel front tooling.
 
Looks like a Wilton to me too.
You pretty much have everything you need there. If you have access to a lathe, have the wheels turned to 2" and reset NEW bearings in them. Cut the platen or make a new one. Get a 1-1/2 horse C-face motor and you'll be grinding. Since it will be apart for the most part....clean and paint it. Good luck.

Rudy
 
Guys been doing a ton of searching on wiltons , and had a new idea. How about if I got it and ran it with a add on pyro-ceram platen liner in 2 inch width similar to how Ed Caffery did in his page here ( http://www.caffreyknives.net/wilton.htm ) but leaving the rest of the machine in the 4 inch wide configuration. My thoughts with this are cheaper may only cost me the liner material and some time, and then I would always have the option of running it as 2 or 4 inch. The seller did mention he had 20 or so 4" belts to go with it.
Chris
 
Go for it..........
But check your bearings on all the wheels. Looks like that machine has been around a while.

Rudy
 
Even if you can't quite get it optimized for 2x72 belts (which from the looks of it really shouldn't be a problem), for 200 bucks, that's a heck of a deal on a 4x72, which can be extremely useful as well. I'd snag that machine up in a heartbeat.
 
I see no reason for it not to work with a 2x72 configuration. EVEN is you had to replace all of the wheels you'd be money ahead.

As others mentioned, check the bearings and everything else for weathering and age. I'd also be leery of the belts if they haven't been WELL taken care of in storage. You just haven't lived until you've had a belt separate at top speed!

Charlie
 
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This machine was the cream of the crop 30 years ago and like all well designed machines it will still perform very well. I believe it was called a Square Wheel. Any way, great machine and worth the effort and $. 2x72 is much easier to get good belts and for knife makers a better sanding platform for the detail we want.
 
Well I bought it last saturday and then promptly send to mexico for work sunday getting back today. So now the search is on for a VFD that can run the 3 HP motor that won't break my budget. and a paint scheme as it is ugly :)
Thanks for all the opinions guys looks like this will be a great machine.
Chris
 
Jim Pugh of Texas fame used to have a similar machine. I remember in the old "Blade" he was shown using it. I would think just getting a two inch wheel for it you
would be in good shape.
 
Rusty, pretty sure it is much older than when jet took over the square wheel design from wilton. I am really leaning toward it being one of the early Olympic grinders the Wilton was based on. I'll keep and eye out for any identifiers as I prep it for paint but it is still a bit of a mystery now. there are small details that are different such as the arc of the tnsion/tracking wheel takes is reversed from the wilton etc.
Chris
Rusty McDonald said:
That is a jet version of the square wheel.I have one but have never even plugged it in.
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will do guys the paint is stripped down to the original green it is a tough industrial enamel , the wire wheel hardly touches it unless I really try! found a serial number on the back but nothing else so far. next is getting to a buddies place that has a phase converter to check the motor and general operation then buy a VFD and go to town grinding steel :)
Chris
 
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